Driving with a Suspended License Ė Traffic Ticket Defense

One of the first things you should do if you get arrested for driving with a suspended license in Florida is figure out why your license was suspended in the first place. There are many reasons why your license can be suspended; however, these are some of the most common reasons:

Some of the most common reasons could be: you failed to show up in court; you were convicted of driving under the influence (DUI); or you received too many points on your driverís license within a designated period of time. In order to get the best advice you want to hire an attorney experienced in traffic ticket defense in Miami, traffic ticket defense in Fort Lauderdale, and traffic ticket defense in Palm Beach.

Pursuant to Florida Statute ß322.34, it is against the law in Florida to drive while your license has been canceled, suspended, or revoked. The consequences for violation of this law depend on whether you had knowledge that your license had been canceled, suspended, or revoked and whether this is your first, second, or third (or subsequent) conviction for this violation.

If this is your first offense and you did not have knowledge that your license had been canceled, suspended, or revoked, a conviction means you will be found guilty of a moving violation, which is punishable by a fine, assessment of points on your license, and/or traffic school. When it comes to driving with a license that has been canceled, suspended, or revoked when you had knowledge of such cancellation, suspension, or revocation:

A first conviction is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and/or a $500 fine;A second conviction is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable by up to one year in jail and/or a $1000 fine; andA third (or subsequent) conviction is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable by up to five years in prison and/or a $5000 fine. If you happen to receive a third (or subsequent) conviction within five years of your most recent conviction for driving while your license has been canceled, suspended, or revoked, in addition to being convicted of a third degree felony, you will also be found to be a habitual traffic offender and your license will be suspended for five years.Have you been charged with driving on a suspended, revoked, or canceled license? If so, hiring an experienced Miami criminal defense attorney or Fort Lauderdale criminal defense attorney from a South Florida law firm such as Galanter Law is in your best interests. At Galanter Law, we can run your driving record to see why your driverís license was suspended in the first place. Once we know the underlying reason for your driverís license suspension, we will try to assert a variety of defenses to help you fight your driving on a suspended license charge. And if there happens to be no appropriate defenses available in your particular case, one of our firmís seasoned Miami criminal defense lawyers or Fort Lauderdale criminal defense lawyers will work with the prosecution to try to have your charge amended to a less serious no valid driverís license charge or a civil citation for failure to display a valid Florida driverís license. Time is of the essence, so donít delayó contact us today for a free consultation.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Yale GalanterOriginally from Philadelphia, founder Yale Galanter has obtained his Bachelorís degree in Business Administration from the University of Miami and earned his Jurist Doctorate from Nova University at the Sheppard Broad Law Center.

Disclaimer: While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this publication, it is not intended to provide legal advice as individual situations will differ and should be discussed with an expert and/or lawyer. For specific technical or legal advice on the information provided and related topics, please contact the author.